


Denizen of the forest

by valiantfindekano



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 05:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1970490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valiantfindekano/pseuds/valiantfindekano
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tyelcormo brings home a new pet (a habit of his, regrettably).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Denizen of the forest

Tyelcormo had a noticeable gait; it was more pronounced when he was happy, and Maitimo singled it out before his eyes had even caught the colour of his brother’s hair, with Laurelin at his back.

But he noticed another gesture, too. As Tyelco walked, he kept reaching up towards his shoulder with the opposite hand. _Was he injured?_ It seemed incompatible with that spring in his step, unless it was a _limp_ …

Quickly, Maitimo passed his book to Macalaurë. “Hold my page,” he insisted, pulling himself to his feet. Maybe that was why Tyelco was so late in coming home—of course it was a _bad_ idea to let him ride away alone with Oromë, they had all said it—and Maitimo took long strides away from the gardens towards his little brother.

His vision caught up before it was time to raise his voice, however.

The good news, Maitimo realised, was that his worries were unfounded: Tyelcormo did not appear to be hurt, and he let out a breath, flooded with relief. The bad news, however, was that in addition to the shaggy dog flouncing at his side, Tyelco seemed to be carrying another creature with him.

_Valar, not again._

Last time it was a fawn. Everyone had found it rather charming, until its skittish dashing about the house had started to break things. Before that, the fox cubs—keeping them away from Huan had been exhausting. And Tyelco’s bed-chambers had been host to far too many bird-nests, meaning his walls and floors had been host to their droppings, until Nerdanel put a stop to that.

Now the nests vied for space in the stables, though Maitimo suspected it was only a matter of time before someone intervened there too.

The creature currently balanced on Tyelcormo’s shoulder was neither fawn nor bird, fox nor rodent, though it bore more similarities to the latter. It did not quite look like a cat, though it was reddish-brown and had a long tail, but it extended grasping hands towards Tyelco’s until he handed something up to it.

Maitimo folded his arms.

Tyelco was grinning broadly when he finally passed through the arcing entrance to their gardens. His hair had largely escaped its plait, his shirt-laces were undone, but it was by no means the worst condition under which he had arrived. Both cases of disarray were explained to Maitimo when the animal reached out and gave a sharp tug to a handful of blonde hair.

Tyelco passed it a berry. “Aiya, Maitimo! I’m home.”

“I see that.”

“I brought a friend.”

“I see that as well.”

“You’re probably wondering what it is.”

Maitimo would concede that it looked rather sweet while it nibbled at its piece of fruit. But it had a face and hands that were curiously similar to Eldarin features, and they seemed out of place on an animal’s body. “Looks like Curufinwë with a tail.”

“No, she cries less,” Tyelco defended his charge. “Oromë calls it a _monkey._ There’s a whole wood full of them in the south! They _never_ stop chattering. They wanted to know where my tail was, and why I couldn’t climb the trees. This one’s quiet, though.”

The monkey screeched its agreement.

“Tyelco, _why_ did you bring it home?”

“She asked.”

Maitimo scowled.

“She asked because her mother doesn’t like her. She says it makes her sad to stay in the tribe.”

“What did Oromë say about this?”

“He left—“

“He left you _alone_ in the wood?”

Tyelco sighed, and shifted his weight back and forth. Evidently he could see that trouble was forthcoming. “I knew what I was doing, and he trusts me.”

“He’s supposed to be _teaching_ you, Turcafinwë. You know how _atar_ feels about the Valar; when he hears about this, you had better have a good explanation ready for him.” That was not a conversation that Maitimo would look forward to.

His little brother frowned, and silently passed another berry up to his monkey. “You should see her swing by her tail,” he added quietly.

_Swinging by its tail?_ Maitimo closed his eyes. “What did we learn from the fawn, Tyelco?”

“Don’t display valuable things?”

“… You are _hopeless_.”


End file.
